Steelers May Have A Taysom Hill Clone Surprise At Training Camp: "Maybe He Carves Out A Niche"

A lot of the talk surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 offseason has been about quarterbacks, wide receivers, offensive linemen, linebackers or Cameron Heyward's contract situation. Fans certainly care about all of these topics, but most of it has been discussed every day for months. Training camp is quickly approaching and a lot of the storylines will revolve around the same things with some twists and turns. There is plenty of excitement regarding the team, specifically about the offense. Arthur Smith will take over as the offensive coordinator and Matt Canada will no longer have a say in the day-to-day operations.

There are so many questions that have focused on the wide receiver position. The main reason for this is the quarterback room was revamped, offensive line now seems stable and Pat Freiermuth will be healthy to lead the tight end group. General Manager Omar Khan could be waiting patiently to add a legitimate number two threat opposite of George Pickens, but there is another underrated position that no one is talking about.

Smith has been known to utilize a fullback in his offenses. Jack Colletto, a 2023 undrafted free agent who spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, will have an opportunity to showcase his skills during training camp. While in college at Oregon State University, he was awarded the Paul Hornung Award, which is given to the nation's most versatile player. In a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo named Colletto as a player that could end up surprising a lot of the fan base once the pads are put on.

"There's this Jack Colletto guy, this fullback from Oregon State. I don't know how much [Smith] used a fullback in Atlanta or Tennessee, but Colletto is a big guy... He's versatile. Obviously, he would have to make it on special teams first and then, maybe he carves out a niche."

The last true fullback on Pittsburgh's roster was Derek Watt. Connor Heyward was looked at as a potential option after being drafted in 2022, but he appears to have turned into more of a hybrid tight end.

Given Colletto's versatility, the name Taysom Hill comes to mind. The New Orleans Saints quarterback/pass-catcher/fullback/running back does pretty much everything for New Orleans. He is a dynamic game-wrecker and is extremely hard to game plan for. Colletto was listed as a quarterback during his first two collegiate seasons and then transitioned to linebacker. He can pretty much do it all.

Fittipaldo makes a good point as someone like Colletto will need to earn a spot on the team as a special teams player first, but if he is able to accomplish that, Smith could begin to get creative with him on offense due to his versatility. The Steelers' offense lacked creativity with Canada at the helm and Colletto's presence could be an opportunity to change that.

Someone like Kyle Juszczyk from the 49ers is also an interesting name to compare Colletto to. The second-year fullback spent some time with him in San Francisco, and he could have learned a thing or to about making a difference on offense. It will be fun to keep track of Colletto during camp to see if he has what it takes to make Mike Tomlin's team.

Steelers Signing Of Colletto Could End Up Being Very Nice Surprise

No one is expecting much out of Colletto, but if he ends up making the squad and carving out a niche, as Fittipaldo said, it could lead to some exciting offensive ideas from Smith. Wide receiver remains the top concern overall, but there's no denying that having a guy with similar skillsets to Hill and Juszczyk would be awfully interesting in the Steel City.

Do you think Colletto can make the team in 2024? Let us know in the comments below!

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